Means for printing stretched warp threads



April 28, 1 E. DUBOST ETAL MEANS FOR PRINTING STRETCHED WARP THREADS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1963 llllll lHllllHllHllllll April 28, 1964 E. DUBOST ETAL 3,130,668

MEANS FOR PRINTING STRETCHED WARP THREADS Filed Jan. 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 28, 1964 E. DUBOST ETAL 3,130,668

MEANS FOR PRINTING STRETCHED WARP THREADS Filed Jan. 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A ril 28, 1964 E. DUBOST ETAL 3,130,658

MEANS FOR PRINTING STRETCHED WARP THREADS Filed Jan. 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,130,668 MEANS FOR PRINTlNG STRETCHED WARP THREADS Eugene Duhost, 40 Rue Saint Alban, Riorges, Loire,

France, and Ren Clavelloux, 13 Place Jean-James, Saint-Etienne, Loire, France Filed Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 249,413 Claims priority, application France Jan. 13, 1962 Claims. (Cl. 101-172) This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for printing threads to enable subsequent weaving in which both sides of the resulting fabric be ornamented with the same impression.

It is well known that sponge cloth formed with pile threads is constituted by repeatedly looped threads which thus provide a substantial thickness for the fabrics obtained which may for example be sponge towels. Such fabrics allow ornamental or the like impressions only on one of their surfaces by reason of their thickness which prevents the dyestutf from reaching the opposite surface. Consequently the articles thus printed and executed display, on one side, an accurate impression and, on the opposite side, a dull, blurred and irregular impression which is detrimental to its appearance and to its sale.

In order to remove these drawbacks, a method is proposed for printing on both surfaces of the tensioned warp threads which are to be utilized in a pile structure serving for the execution of sponge cloth. Said threads are advanced for this purpose on an automatic machine of a known type serving for the impression of fabrics, which machine is varied in a novel and improved manner according to our invention for the purpose specified.

The operative cycle of our improved printing method includes chiefly:

(1) Preparation of pile threads wound over an input warp beam,

(2) Positioning of the input warp beam on an input trestle of the automatic printing machine,

(3) Feeding and guiding the warp threads through a comb suitably secured at the output of said warp beam,

(4) Balancing and unifying the tension stresses in the warp threads by means of a compensating arrangement at the input end,

(5) Guiding the warp threads through a further comb arranged to the front of the movable belt forming the printing table,

(6) Sizing of the warp threads on said movable belt,

(7) Providing for a succession of longitudinal movements of the warp threads and their local impression through the agency of printing frames associated with scrapers for spreading the dyestuif,

(8) Guiding the printed warp threads through a comb arranged at the input of a drying chamber,

(9) Drying and polymerizing of the printed warp threads in a non-ventilated drying chamber,

(10) Guiding of the printed and dried warp threads at the output of the drying chamber,

(11) Balancing and unifying the tension stresses in the printed and dried warp threads by a compensating arrangement at the output end,

(12) Using collapsible vertically shiftable and longitudinally adjustable combs in order to allow the passage of knotted threads and the uniform winding of the threads round the cloth beam,

(13) Weaving of the printed warp in a weaving loom.

In accordance with the above, a particular object of the invention is satisfied in which threads are fed to the weaving loom in such manner that a fabric can be weaved with a clear impression on both sides of the fabric.

In order to illustrate the object of our invention withgreases Patented Apr. 28, 1964 out however limiting it to a particular arrangement, in the accompanying drawings show a desired embodiment:

FIG. 1 shows on a reduced scale, a diagrammatic view of the whole arrangement of a machine for printing warp threads in accordance with our invention, the top to bottom direction of said figure on the sheet of drawings corresponding to a horizontal arrangement.

FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale is a plan view corresponding to a part of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows, on a larger scale, a partial plan view illustrating the yielding support provided for sizing the warp threads when stretched on a movable belt, before an impression is made on the threads.

FIG. 4 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the warp threads after the printing operation.

FIG. 6 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 5, the print ing frame being illustrated as engaging the warp threads during the printing operation associated with a spreading of the dyestuff.

FIG. 7 shows a warp thread tensioned before printing.

FIG. 8 shows a stretched warp thread when printed locally.

FIG. 9 shows the printed warp thread according to FIG. 8 after it has been looped.

FIG. 10 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a partly sectional view illustrating the mechanical arrangement of the warp beam of the weaving loom which is to receive the warp threads on the printing machine.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the guiding and transverse adjustment of the printed and dried warp threads and their winding over the warp beam of the weaving loom.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic elevational view corresponding to FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the means for longitudinally and vertically adjusting the movable combs.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic elevational view corresponding to FIG. 14.

In the drawings, the warp beam 1 carrying the Wound warp threads P is secured through its spindle at the input of the machine on a stand carrier trestle 2. Said trestle 2 is constituted by uprights provided at their upper ends with sleeves 3 inside which may slide longitudinally adjustable spindles 4 secured by screws 5 (FIG. 11). At their ends facing the warp beam, the spindles 4 carry ball bearings 6, the inner races of which engage and center the projecting ends of the spindle of the warp beam 1. Weights P secured in a conventional manner to the warp beam 1 form brakes which prevent any sudden unwinding of the warp beam.

The warp threads F wound from the warp beam 1 engage a guiding comb '7 (FIG. 1) secured through any known means. Beyond said comb the threads are advanced longitudinally by the rollers 8, 9 and 10. A compensating roller 11 guided vertically and suitably loaded by means of a weight P1 is provided between the rollers 10 and 10 and maintains a permanent tensioning of the warp threads during operation of the machine.

As they pass off the roller 10 the stretched warp threads F are guided by further rollers 12 and 13 so as to engage a moving belt T forming the operative table on which the printing is executed.

Said moving belt T is guided and advanced by drums 14 and it is provided with a layer of sizing material at its input by a moistening roller 15 dipping partly inside a vat 15 filled with glue. A rotary brush 16 engaging said roller 15 and the outer surface of the moving belt T distributes the glue throughout the breadth of said belt.

Before the warp threads F engage the moving belt T, a

comb 17 provides for its transverse guiding. A guiding roller 18 urges the warp threads against the moving belt T so as to allow its sizing and transient application throughout the length of the flat section of the belt'forming the printing table.

Above the belt T moving longitudinally in an intermittent manner through the agency of suitable mechanical means, frames C the number of which is selected as deired, ensure the local impression of the sheet of threads.

To this end, each frame C is provided on its surface facing the threads with a sieve or canvas C which allows the dyestuff to filter through it so as to impress locally the warp threads in accordance with the desired design, taking into account the longitudinal deformation of the threads as will be disclosed hereinafter.

During the printing stage, each stationary frame is fed inwardly with a selected dyestuff and engages the warp threads F while a scraper R controlled by mechanical means ensures the spreading of the dyestuff over the threads in a manner such as to ensure a complete impregnation, in accordance with the design or pattern to be executed, of all the warp threads throughout their thick ness, which ensures thus a complete impression of all the portions of the threads.

It should be noted that the sieves C of the frames carrying the designs to be printed, are specially formed for the purpose and the designs are as a matter of fact deformed longitudinally in a manner such that after the shrinking and Weaving of the warp threads, the finished design may correspond accurately to the final design which is desired to obtain through printing.

To define this feature, consider a stretched warp thread as illustrated in FIG. 8. The deformed impression corresponds to a length l, which length is reduced to a value as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 which corresponds to the actual length obtained after shrinking of the looped thread. By Way of example, it is possible to obtain an impression on the warp threads adapted to form a sponge cloth wtih a deformation of the design by 400%.

As they pass off the moving belt T, the printed warp threads F are released and are held transversely by a comb 19 secured for instance at the input of the drying chamber 20. Said chamber 2% is provided with drying means so that the printed Warp threads F are dried as they progress inside said chamber after which they are guided at the output end of said chamber by a further comb 21. Guiding and driving rollers 22, 23, 24, ensure the progression of the warp threads, whereas a movable tensioning roller 26 is guided vertically and is subjected to the weight P so as to ensure a constant tensioning of the threads during the mechanical operation of the machine and of its kinematic control system.

After their passage over further rollers 2'7, 28, the printed and dried warp threads are guided in a transverse direction by the movable combs 29 and which cooperate and are arranged immediately ahead of the receiving warp beam.

The ends of the first output comb which is vertically movable are held at the desired level by two guiding supports 3% (FIG. 13) which allow a vertical shifting of the corresponding slideways 31 which are simultaneously controlled by two eccentric members 32 secured to a control spindle 33. A supporting bar 34 carrying the comb Z9 is held at a predetermined height by the slideways 31. This arrangement is such that, by making the spindle 33 rotate through the agency of a crank, the comb 29 is caused to move vertically, which leads to its engagement or disengagement with the printed warp threads F.

The second output comb 35 arranged beyond the comb 29 is constituted by a plurality of sections 35 (FIG. 14) supported in vertical position by the movable elements of an expansible or lazy tongs linkage 36 such that the sections 35 all move parallel to one another as the tongs is expanded or retracted.

Said expansible linkage 36 is rigidly fitted at its ends on two nuts 37 of opposite pitches cooperating with a carrier screw 38 the rotation of which is controlled by a crank 39. Consequently, upon rotation of said screw 38, a spacing apart or a moving towards each other of the elements forming the expansible linkage 36 and thereby the sections 35 produces modifications in the breadth of the sheet of warp threads F. Said feature ensures a suitable spacing of the threads prior to their winding on the receiving motor-driven warp beam 449.

As provided for the first output comb 29, the expansible support 36 is vertically adjustable through the agency of movable slideways 41 controlled by the eccentric members 42 driven simultaneously by the shaft 43 (FIG. 15).

Independently of the transverse adjustment of the warp threads F, the combs 35 and 29 allow, through their vertical alternating reciprocation, the passage in succession of the thread knots without any risk of a breaking of the threads.

It should be remarked that, within the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims, it is possible to equip the machine with warp beams which are rigid with one another or are adjustable with reference to one another, which allows obtaining different tensionings and consequently manifold ornamental effects.

Furthermore, the method disclosed is also applicable to warp threads which are not looped and are not subjected to a shrinking after the printing operation.

Obviously and as already disclosed, our invention is by no means limited to those embodiments or applications which have been particularly described and the invention covers all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for printing warp threads, prior to their winding on the warp beam of a weaving loom, the combination of an input warp beam carrying the Warp threads, a stand carrying the beam, means for unwinding the warp threads off the warp beam under tensioned conditions to advance the threads intermittently through the machine, combs guiding the tensioned threads at a predetermined spacing, a movable belt including a rectilinear strand over which the threads are adapted to pass, means for applying a layer of sizing onto said belt, means for engaging said threads after the same have passed through said combs to urge the threads onto the belt with the sizing thereon whereby said threads adhere to said belt, frames carrying dyestuffs and including a sheet stencilled in accordance with a predetermined pattern, said frames being adapted to be urged against the threads passing over the rectilinear belt strand to impress the same throughout with dyestuffs, a drying chamber for the printed warp threads passing off said rectilinear belt strand, and at least one output comb spacing the sized, printed and dried warp threads and guiding them onto the warp beam of the Weaving room.

2. In a machine for printing a looped pile warp threads, prior to their winding on the warp beam of a weaving loom, the combination of an input warp beam carrying the warp threads, a stand carrying the beam, means for unwinding the Warp threads off the warp beam under tensioned conditions to advance the threads intermittently through the machine, combs guiding the tensioned threads at a predetermined spacing, a movable belt including a rectilinear strand over which the threads are adapted to pass, means for applying a layer of sizing onto said belt, means for engaging said threads after the same have passed through said combs to urge the threads onto the belt with the sizing thereon whereby said threads adhere to said belt, frames carrying dyestuffs and including a sheet stencilled in accordance with a predetermined pattern at a longitudinally enlarged scale which is the reverse of the shrinking ratio of the warp threads when dried and woven, said frames being adapted to be urged against the threads passing over the rectilinear belt strand to impress the same throughout with dyestuffs,

a drying chamber for the printed warp threads passing off said rectilinear belt strand, and at least one output comb spacing the sized, printed and dried warp threads and guiding them onto the warp beam of the weaving loom.

3. In a machine for printing warp threads, prior to their winding on the warp beam of a Weaving loom, the combination of an input warp beam carrying the warp threads, a stand carrying the beam, means for unwinding the warp threads off the Warp beam under tensioned conditions to advance the threads intermittently through the machine, combs guiding the tensioned threads at a predetermined spacing, a movable belt including a rectilinear strand over which the threads are adapted to pass, means for applying a layer of sizing onto said belt, means for engaging said threads after the same have passed through said combs to urge the threads onto the belt with the sizing thereon whereby said threads adhere to said belt, frames carrying dyestuffs and including a sheet stencilled in accordance with a predetermined pattern, said frames being adapted to be urged against the threads passing over the rectilinear belt strand to impress same throughout, a drying chamber for the printed warp threads passing off said rectilinear belt strand, at least one output comb spacing the sized, printed and dried warp threads and guiding them onto the warp beam of the weaving loom, a carrier bar for one of said combs, and means for vertically shifting said carrier bar to make the last-mentioned comb engage and disengage the Warp threads.

4. In a machine for printing warp threads, prior to their winding on the warp beam of a weaving loom, the combination of an input warp beam carrying the warp threads, a strand carrying the beam, means for unwinding the warp threads off the warp beam under tensioned conditions to advance the threads intermittently through the machine, combs guiding the tensioned threads at a predetermined spacing, a movable belt including a rectilinear strand over which the threads are adapted to pass, frames carrying dyestuffs and including a sheet stencilled in accordance with a predetermined pattern, said frames being adapted to be urged against the threads passing over the rectilinear belt strand to impress same throughout, a drying chamber for the printed warp threads passing off said rectilinear belt strand, two output combs spacing the printed and dried warp threads and guiding them onto the Warp beam of the weaving loom, a carrier bar for one of said combs, means for vertically shifting said carrier bar to make the last-mentioned comb engage and disengage the warp threads, a deformable parallel motion system having a horizontal axis, lying in a vertical plane and carrying the other output comb, threaded means controlling the operative length of the parallel motion system and consequently the breadth of said other output comb and means for reciprocating vertically the parallel motion system and the other comb carried thereby.

5. In a machine as claimed in claim 4 comprising means for applying a layer of sizing on said belt and means for engaging the threads after the same have passed through the first mentioned combs to urge the threads onto the belt with the sizing thereon whereby said threads adhere to said belt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 747,306 Keefer Dec. 15, 1903 750,514 Winslow et al Jan. 26, 1904 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,262,940 France Apr. 24, 1961 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR PRINTING WARP THREADS, PRIOR TO THEIR WINDING ON THE WARP BEAM OF A WEAVING LOOM, THE COMBINATION OF AN INPUT WARP BEAM CARRYING THE WARP THREADS, A STAND CARRYING THE BEAM MEANS FOR UNWINDING THE WARP THREADS OFF THE WARP BEAM UNDER TENSIONED CONDITIONS TO ADVANCE THE THREADS INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH THE MACHINE, COMBS GUIDING THE TENSIONED THREADS AT A PREDETERMINED SPACING, A MOVABLE BELT INCLUDING A RECTILINEAR STRAND OVER WHICH THE THREADS ARE ADAPTED TO PASS, MEANS FOR APPLYING A LAYER OF SIZING ONTO SAID BELT, MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID THREADS AFTER THE SAME HAVE PASSED THROUGH SAID COMBS TO URGE THE THREADS ONTO THE BELT WITH THE SIZING THEREON WHEREBY SAID THREADS ADHERE TO SAID BELT, FRAMES CARRYING DYESTUFFS AND INCLUDING A SHEET STENCILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED PATTERN, SAID FRAMES BEING ADAPTED TO BE URGED AGAINST THE THREADS PASING OVER THE RECTILINEAR BELT STRAND TO IMPRESS THE SAME THROUGHOUT WITH DYESTUFFS, A DRYING CHAMBER FOR THE PRINTED WARP THREADS PASSING OFF SAID RECTILINEAR BELT STRAND, AND AT LEAST ONE OUTPUT COMB SPACING THE SIZED, PRINTED AND DRIED WARP THREADS AND GUIDING THEM ONTO THE WARP BEAM OF THE WEAVING LOOM. 